Cintia A. , Lebledparle.com
According to a release from the Ashanti Regional Police Command, the suspect Bela Merie was caught alongside 43 other Cameroonian nationals. Preliminary investigations revealed that Merie had defrauded a total of 43 victims, that is 32 males and 11 females of a huge sum of money amounting to 4.5 million FCFA (approximately $7,500 USD).
Her modus operandi was luring victims with false promises of lucrative employment opportunities in Ghana. Further investigation uncovered that Merie operated through a well-known internet scam model widely referred to as “Q-NET,” a fraudulent network that has been linked to similar cases across West Africa.
As part of the arrest procedure, the victims and the suspect, whose ages range from 22 to 38, have been handed over to the Ghana Immigration Service for proper documentation and repatriation procedures.
The case of Internet fraud has always been a call for concern in Africa with youths indulging in such dubious ways to make ends meet. As Ghana increases their security, other countries most especially West African countries where such practice is increasingly high should intensify their combat against this scam.
